X Days Since...: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

A trope usually seen in comedy. Occurs where an institution holds a sign outside their facility stating "X days since the last [bad event]", usually a sign like this is used to indicate the building has [[No OSHA Compliance]], with work-related accidents or outlandish catastrophes being the most frequent bad event. Sometimes being reset by occurrences within the episode. An increasingly common variant is the sign having to be reset ''as it is being updated.'' Very much [[Truth in Television]] (the sign, not the comedy).

{{examples}}

* The ''[[Trigun]]'' manga, in an interesting variation of this trope, showed a sign in one city counting the number of murders and serious injuries that had occurred that day.

 

* ''[[Incredible Hulk]]'' has the occasional counter indicating number of days without incident (in this case, "incident" means "Bruce getting pissed off enough to Hulk Out and break lots of things").

 

 

* ''[[Transformers Film Series|Transformers]]'' had one of these inside the Hoover Dam.

* Done in the movie ''[[Speed]]''. In the finale, as the subway train crashes out of control through the construction area, there's such a sign. The subway train crashes ''through'' it.

* [[Played for Drama]] in ''[[Super 8]]'', when an accident counter ([[Averted Trope|at a very]] [[No OSHA Compliance|high count]]) at the Lillian steel mill is seen reset to zero before it is revealed that the accident {{spoiler|caused the gruesome death of the protagonist's mother.}}

* In ''[[Young Doctors In Love]]'' the sign is reset after [[The Chew Toy|the assassin]] smokes next to gas tanks, and explodes.

 

* One of the [[Star Wars Expanded Universe]] stories mentions a sign in the lobby of the New Republic Senate reading "''x''Days Since The Last Shot Fired in Anger. Remember, Peace is No Accident!"

** When a new war breaks out, Chief of State Leia Organa Solo notices the sign and angrily orders that it be taken down.

 

* On ''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]'': "X days since the (previous) President declared Mission Accomplished in Iraq."

* An episode of ''[[The Office]]'' featured an "X Days Since Last Accident" sign in the warehouse. Michael caused an accident, requiring the sign (which had a high number on it) to be reset.

* Happens non-comically in ''[[Lois and Clark]]'', the counter is reset to zero because of something happening in the episode.

* An episode of ''[[Monk]]'' began within with a janitor being killed in an industrial trash compactor, with blood spattering onto the sign.

 

* There was a ''[[Dilbert]]'' strip where somebody is putting up a sign that reads "8 days since the last accident", and then falls off the wheeled chair they're standing on.

{{quote|'''Dilbert:''' That's ironic.

'''Injured co-worker:''' No, it was ironic when it happened nine days ago. }}

 

 

* Inverted in the first ''[[Oddworld]]'' game: One of the scrolling information bars in Rupture Farms, a meat packing plant, reads "''Only'' 1,234 work related injuries this month! Keep up the good work"

* Several ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' maps have a sign that reads "This Job Has Worked [0] Days Without an Accident".

* ''[[BioShock (series)]]'' has several of these signs throughout the game. At least one has fallen off the wall entirely.

* One derelict spaceship in ''[[Mass Effect]] 2'' has an "It has been five days since our last workplace fatality" announcement.

** Of course, said derelict spaceship is actually an {{spoiler|[[Eldritch Abomination]]}}. It's to be expected. The only reason it's been as much as five days is {{spoiler|the whole work crew are husks already!}}

** "Come aboard the asteroid coaster! Accident free for 45 minutes!"

* ''[[Dead Space (video game)|Dead Space]]'' has a "Days Since Last Accident" sign which predictably reads '0'. It shows up as a background image on its [[Steam]] library page.

 

* ''[[Penny Arcade]]'' with [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/3/19/bedrock-concepts/ the following].

** "It has been [[Ludicrous Precision|437215353 seconds]] since [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071008 this system was last activated]".

* In ''[[The Whiteboard]]'' several such signs show up occasionally, like [http://the-whiteboard.com/autowb104.html "10 days since last mauling"]

 

* In one of the ''[[Acts of Gord]]'' stories, he comes up with the idea of having an "[http://www.actsofgord.com/Wrath/chapter01.php X days since I've had to deal with an idiot]" sign. The idea being that while dealing with an idiot, he would sigh and flip it back to 0, right in front of them. He hoped they'd be offended enough to leave.

 

** In the new opening: Lenny & Carl are changing the "days without an accident" one higher, then the quittingtime horn goes off and Homer runs out, knocking them over in the process.

** A prison holds a sign counting the number of days since the last break.

* In the ''[[King of the Hill]]'' episode "The Accidental Terrorist", just after Bobby got a ride on a car lift in a car dealership, the camera zooms towards the background showing the sign "2 days since the last accident."

 

* The road running from Fort Irwin (California) to Barstow, the nearest town, has a sign reading: "This road is deceptively dangerous. It has killed __ injured __ this year. Please drive carefully." For symbolic effect, the sign includes a "map" of the road—pictured as a rattlesnake with a lane divider running down its back.

** Several British roads have a similar but rather more understated sign, saying "__ killed, __ injured this year. Drive Carefully."

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Comedy Tropes]]

[[Category:X Days Since...]]